The present invention is directed to a water spray assembly, and in particular to a water spray assembly for mining equipment employing a removable manifold to facilitate changing of spray nozzles in difficult to reach areas.
In the prior art, water sprays are used in mining equipment, especially coal mining equipment, to suppress dust and wet the mined product. The sprays include nozzles, which are removably attached to manifolds or blocks, the blocks fixedly mounted to the mining machines at various locations. One problem with these sprays is plugging of the nozzles due to the coal, coal dust, iron oxide, and other foreign matter. The sprays must be continually cleaned for safety reasons and such maintenance reduces mining production. FIG. 1 shows a prior art spray system with a block 1 mounted on a portion of a continuous mining machine 3. The block 1 has a number of nozzles 5. A supply line 7 provides water to the nozzles for spraying purposes via a channel 9 within the block 1. Since these applications and types of mining machines are well known, a further description is not necessary for understanding of the invention.
It is a first object of the present invention to provide an improved water spray assembly, particularly one that is adapted for use on a mining machine.
Another object of the invention is a water spray assembly that permits easy removal for cleaning and repair.
One other object of the invention is a water spray assembly that utilizes a nozzle block and a manifold that is easily removed from the nozzle.
The invention allows the system to be continuously purged of plugging contaminants which otherwise would accumulate as occurs in prior art systems.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as a description thereof proceeds.
In satisfaction of the foregoing objects and advantages, the present invention provides an improvement in water sprays assemblies, particularly those that are mounted to mining machines for wetting and dust suppression.
The water spray assembly comprises a manifold containing one or more spray nozzles mounted thereto. The manifold has a passageway, which connects inlets of the nozzles to a manifold inlet. The manifold inlet is adapted to connect to a source of pressurized water via a hose or the like.
The manifold is received and supported by a nozzle block or housing. In a preferred embodiment, the housing is adapted to be attached to a location on a mining machine to spray water as part of the mining operation. One or more housings can be attached to the mining machine in a number of orientations and locations depending on the mining machine configuration. Of course, the housing and manifold could be adapted to mate with other components that utilize water sprays.
The nozzle block is configured to removably receive the manifold while providing one or more openings to allow the one or more spray nozzles of the manifold to direct the water spray in a given direction and/or orientation. By having the housing removably receive the manifold, the manifold can be easily removed when the one or more sprays become clogged. Another manifold with unobstructed nozzles can be inserted in the nozzle block while the manifold with the clogged nozzles is cleaned. Moreover, the nozzle block can be positioned on the machine so that an operator or user has ready access to the manifold for easy removal and reinstallation of another manifold.
The manifold can employ one or more nozzles and the nozzles can vary in spray pattern, flow rate, direction of spray and/or a combination of these variables. Virtually any nozzle can be employed in combination with the manifold.
The nozzles can be attached to the manifold by a threaded connection or any other connection as would be within the skill of the art.
The manifold shape is preferably circular in cross section of cylindrical in shape. Other cross sectional shapes could also be employed such as square, octagonal or the like.
The manifold material can be any material suitable for a particular application, but is preferably a material that is corrosion resistant while being capable of removably receiving the nozzles. One example is a nylon block which can be machined with threaded opening for the nozzles and water supply connection.
The water supply to the manifold can be provided by a hose having a threaded fitting which would connect to a threaded opening in the manifold. The connection between the manifold and hose could also be a quick connect fitting to facilitate removal of the manifold from the water supply hose for nozzle cleaning and/or replacement.
The inventive water spray assembly can be used in methods of spraying water, particularly for dust suppression in mining environments such as coal mines. The methods also involve the ability to remove the manifold component of the spray assembly for cleaning and repair, while leaving the housing place.